Toothbrush



Nbv. 6-, 1923. 1,473,000

w. L. WEATHERWAX TOOTHBBUSH Filed April 20. 19 21 6 l gt 4 I flfforn eys Patented Nova 6, 1923 WAYNE LYNN WEATHERWAX, 0F OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN.

TQOTEBRUSH.

Application filed. April 20, 1921.

To alt whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WAYNE LYNN .WEATH- ERwAx, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Oshkosh, in the county of Winnebago and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Toothbrushes, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in tooth brushes and the primary object thereof is to provide a tooth brush having means adapted for removably mounting the brush portion on the handle portion.

In its preferred form the invention contemplates a handle portion. a brush portion comprising a section of rubber the working side of which is corrugated and adapted for contact with the teeth and the ends of which contain recesses and means adapted to removably mount the brush on the handle, said means comprising a pair of L-shaped detents mounted on the handle portion and adapted to be inserted in said recesses in the brush portion and a further objectof my invention is to provide a brush portion which by distorting the same can be quickly mounted on or removed from the handle portion thereby enabling the brush portion to be thoroughly cleaned or renewed whenever desired.

A further object of my invention is to provide a tooth brush having a flexible brush member and means for removably mount-u inn the brush member on the handle in a plurality of positions, those portions of the handle engaged by the brush member when mounted thereon in its several positions be ing of different shapes, whereby the conformation of the working side of said brush member may be changed by moving it from one posit-ion to another on the handle and be curved to a concave or a convex surface so as to fit the inner or outer surfaces of the teeth as desired.

The invention consists in the novel constructions arrangements and devices to be hereinafter described and claimed for carrying out the above stated objects and such other incidental objects as will appear from the following description of certain preferred embodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. l is a perspective view of the handle and mounting means:

Fig. 2 is an elevational view showing the Serial. No. 462,78d.

brush member mounted on the straight portion of the handle but indicated in dotted. lines on the curved portion thereof; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the brush on one end of a straight bearing portion 3 on the other end preferably on the opposite side of the handle for a brush member 4:. The brush 4 is removably mounted on the handle and for this purpose the portions 2 and 3 of the handle are each providedwith a pair of hook members or detents 5. The hooks 5 are L-shaped and are mounted on the handle so that the hooks extend towards each other, as shown in the drawings, the distance between the shank portions of the hooks being substantially equal to the length of the brush. The brush is provided at both ends with recesses 6 which are adapted to receive the hooks 5.

The brush is formed of some flexible material for example rubber, and may readily be positioned on the handle bypressing the opposite ends together sufficiently to permit the hooks 5 to slip into the recesses 6. The working side or face of the brush is preferably provided with a plurality of transversely extending corrugations 7 and which are arranged in a concaved plane.

.lVhen the brush is positioned on the straight portion 3 the working side thereof is particularly adapted to engage the outer surfaces of the teeth and when it is positioned on the convexed bearing portion 2 the brush is dis torted so that a convexed working face is provided thereon particularly adapted to engace the inner surfaces of the teeth.

It will thus be seen that the brush may be very easily and conveniently removed from the handle portion whenever desired and thoroughly cleaned or discarded and a new brush applied. Likewise the brush may, be quickly changed from the straight portion 3 to the convened portion 2, or vice versa. The brush is very sanitary and since the brush portions may be readily removed it is not necessary to discard a handle "just because the brush is worn out.

I claim:

1. A. tooth brush comprising a handle por- 110 tion, a flexible brush portion, said brush portion having a recess in each end, and a pair of hook members mounted on said handle portion with the hooks facing toward each other, said hook members being spaced so that the distance between the shanks of said hooks is substantially equal to the length of said brush portion, said brush portion being positioned on said handle portion by distortingr the'brush portion sufficiently to permit said hooks to slip into said recesses.

2. A tooth brush comprising a handle portion, a brush portion comprising a section of rubber the working side of which is corrugated and adapted for contact with the teeth and the ends of which contain recesses, and a pair of L-shaped detent arms fastened on the handle portion'and adapted to be inserted in the recesses in the brush portion Whereby the brush portion may be mounted on or removed from the handle portion by distorting the brush portion.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

\VAYNE LYNN WEATHERWAX. 

